Summary

Combine 2 half day tours and save money with this El Escorial & Valley Of The Fallen and Toledo tour.

Departure Time: 8:45 AM

Meeting Point: San Nicolás Str, nº 15 (corner Plaza Ramales)

Itinerary

In the morning tour, you will visit the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, an architectural ensemble declared a World Heritage Site; and the Valley of the Fallen, a basilica that stands out for its gigantic size.

Royal Monastery of El EscorialYou will start your visit at El Escorial, a symbol of the Spanish power in the XVI century that commemorates the battle of St. Quentin. It is also mausoleum for Charles V. Due to the symmetry and balance of its construction, according to the humanist Renaissance style, it had been considered for years the eighth wonder of the world. The visit includes the Habsburg Palace, the Kings and Princes Mausoleum, the Chapter House and the Basilica.

Basilica Of The Valley Of The FallenLocated 9 km away from El Escorial, this enormous monument was built between 1940 and 1959 to honor the fallen during the Spanish Civil War. The basilica is carved into the mountain at 1350 meters of altitude, where an impressive 150 meters high cross places itself over the magnificent landscape of Madrid’s mountain range.

In the afternoon, we will depart to Toledo.

Discover the “City of the Three Cultures”

Located 70 km away from Madrid is Toledo, a beautiful city-museum declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the oldest towns in Europe and has a great artistic beauty and buildings from almost all periods in history (Arabian, Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque style). Toledo is called the “City of the Three Cultures”, since Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together. In the XVI century, it was also home to the great painter El Greco.

Once in Toledo, you will begin your tour by visiting the outside of the Cathedral, shortly after, you will go to the interior of the Sto. Tomé Church with "The Burial of the Lord of Orgaz", masterpiece of El Greco, after that, you will visit the interior of the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca and finally, we will see the interior of the incredible monastery of San Juan de los Reyes.

Once these visits are finished, you will go to a demonstration of the famous technique of damascened * (Inlay of precious metals in steel), forging of swords. Once the demonstration has finished, you will have free time to buy something you want. The tour concludes with a Panoramic Sightseeing of Toledo and a stop at a viewpoint with breathtaking views of the city for taking the best pictures of Toledo.

(*) The damascene is an ancient handcrafted art that consists of the incrustation of precious metals in steel

Inclusions

Air conditioned motor coach

Bilingual official guide

Entrance to the Royal Monastery of El Escorial

Entrance to the Valley of the Fallen and the Basilica

Entrance to Church of St. Tomé

Entrance to Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca

Entrance to Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

Individual radio-guided system

Exclusions

Lunch, beverages or other services not specified above.

Hotel pick up/drop-off

Important Notes

Please keep in mind that the excursion includes several visits on foot, comfortable shoes are recommended.

The duration of the tour includes the round trip to the destination

Royal Monastery of El Escorial, the Valley of the Fallen Basilic and St Tomé Church visitors are kindly requested to respect the instructions of the Security: Photography and filming are not permitted inside the exhibitions.